title: The early haploid male gamete develops a capacity for fertilization after the coalescence of the proacrosomal granules.
abstract: We compared the fertilizing capacity of rabbit testicular round spermatids (i) before appearance of the proacrosomal granules (stage -1), (ii) with two to three proacrosomal granules attached to the nucleus (stage -2) and (iii) with one granule attached to the nucleus (stages -3 to -5). Testicular samples were minced and observed via confocal scanning laser microscopy, which allows intracellular observation at high magnification and the subsequent identification of acrosomal granules and round spermatids. Nuclei of round spermatids of stage -1 (group A), -2 (group B), and -3 to -5 (group C) were isolated and injected into mature rabbit oocytes. At 24 and 72 h post-injection the number of cleaved oocytes and morulae/blastocysts, respectively, were significantly lower in groups A and B than group C. These results suggest that the rabbit round spermatid develops fertilizing potential after the stage at which the coalescence of the acrosomal granules occurs.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Physiology and IVF Center, Department of Urology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sofikitis
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Isoyama
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyagawa
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst; D002469:Cell Separation; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009028:Morula; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D009865:Oocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011817:Rabbits; D013087:Spermatids / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*